death of a bachelor

When an act announces just one show at London’s Alexandra Palace you know it’s a big deal, but two in a row is a statement in and of itself of how big the band are. With only one support act to fill out the night, Tigertown had big boots to fill to amp the crowd up before Panic! At The Disco took to the stage.

Kicking things off with a performance of high energy that couldn’t contain their evident euphoria of playing on this tour, Tigertown quickly engaged the crowd with their pop/electro/synth mix of music. Bouncing through their set the Sydney four-piece even had some sing-a-longs as the crowd accepted them as their own.

Finally Panic! took to the stage, and it isn’t until you see them perform as a unit that you can appreciate just how well their music works as a collective. Storming through hit after hit, it’s hard to determine just what makes this performance so awe inspiring; the band are a well oiled machine, the jazz musicians fit in just right to incorporate those elements in the live version, but really taking the cake are Urie’s vocals. The falsetto he can roll out is just incredible and you can feel the awe in the room as he indulges us with it.

In a venue this big it’s quite the test to see if the act can still hold the audience or if the space is just too big for them, yet addressing the crowd to inform us that Panic! have been in circulation for 12 years, Urie shows he is very much at ease commanding such a vast space. Songs such as Nine In The Afternoon are still as good to hear now as they were back in 2008, the ability this band have to throwback to their oldest material yet not have it feel outdated is a real triumph. On the other hand, the newest songs such as Victorious and Crazy=Genius are equally well received with fans showing just how well they know the material and singing every word with Urie.

Rounding off their set with a three song encore; I Write Sins, Not Tragedies, This Is Gospel and Victorious, it’s evident why 12 years in and this band keep climbing. It’s the music, it’s the performance, this is more than a show, it’s a real spectacle. Only here will you be shouting along to Victorious whilst gold confetti rains down on the crowd.